Blog

Feather Falls, an executive desk design by Kelly Maxwell Designs that utilizes ethically sourced natural wood. Its design was inspired by the natural shape of the Bastogne walnut wood slab used as its desktop. This type of walnut was first discovered by Luther Burbank, a plant breeder, in the 1890s. The Bastogne walnut is a hybrid species from crossbreeding California’s Claro and England’s naturalized walnut varieties.

This stunning Bastogne walnut wood slab serves as the focal point for the executive desk design. The live edge desktop features an infinity waterfall fold, which creates a sleek and functional design. The base cabinets are equally impressive, with an English walnut frame, mortise, and tenon mitered corners. The panels feature Claro walnut tree (feathers) crotch sequence, all cuts from the same tree. Enhanced by traditional wood joinery, this minimalist design includes mortise and tenon, pen and peg, and simple wood hinges. A natural hard wax finish protects the wood surfaces, ensuring durability and highlighting natural wood beauty.

The Feather Fall executive desk boasts push-to-open technology for the base cabinet drawers and door, complemented by a pen drawer carved from a Bastogne walnut wood slab. A sleek desktop organizer conceals a computer monitor that smoothly lifts from the base cabinet via a remote control or app. The desk has a discreet desktop cabinet, which provides electrical outlets, standard and C-USB ports, and extra storage space. The monitor cabinet has space for a small printer or extra storage.

We were inspired to create “The Conestoga” as a tribute to the iconic Conestoga wagon trunk. The Conestoga, a horse-drawn freight wagon, originated from the Conestoga Creek region of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Conestoga wagon trunks were functional for storing and concealing items during that time. Some were hung on the wagon’s side, while others were on the back. This is our rendition of this iconic piece.

Anthony, of Red Tail Forge Works in Tennessee, selected a wrought iron flowering tulip hinge based on an 18th-century pattern. Found in the Early American Wrought Iron, Albert H. Sonn, Three Volumes in One, Plate 201.  Chest Hinges pg.186. “Figure 3. This elaborately wrought hinge of flowering tulip pattern decorates a chest owned by Mr. Francis C. Mireau of Doylestown, PA. It is 16 1/4” in length by 5” in breadth and joins a plain strap-end member extending down the chest’s back. The handles, hasp, and other hardware are authentic Red Tail Forge Works designs.

Kelly chose English walnut wood with a figured flitch-cut for the wooden trunk. The trunk’s frame has dovetailed corners, and features 16-inch-wide sequence cut planks. The dome top features a single wood plank, focusing on the feather pattern. Ring handles add decoration and functionality, while the latch and lock ensure security. The base has eight oval ring plates, which also conceal a secret. Note that the long sides have three plates each, with the two outer plates as keys to a tray at the bottom. To unlock the tray, turn the keys counterclockwise, pull the pins, and lift the trunk. To lock it again, turn the keys clockwise.

What is a live edge table, and what factors have contributed to its increasing popularity? Let’s take a more in-depth look at this trend of bringing nature into the decor of our home. Live edge furniture has grown in popularity but has been around for years as natural wood furniture. However, regardless of the name, natural wood furniture handcrafted from natural live edge wood invites the beauty of nature into homes.

What exactly is a live edge table? 

Tables and other live-edge furniture feature a solid wood slab milled with the outer edge of the tree intact. Don’t confuse a live edge with a bark edge, which is rare because most bark will separate from the outside of the tree when they dry. Below find an example of a solid tree wood slab with the natural live edge attached—a massive Claro walnut wood slab milled from a dead tree or at the end of its life. Also, rustic tables are made from two or more live-edge wood slabs glued together. Normally, these are thinner, around 1 to 2 inches thick, cutting costs. Some production furniture shops will cut a faux live edge, also known as a carved edge. These companies will say this is a live edge, but it’s not. In the furniture industry, a live edge is the outer edge of a tree just under the bark. Unlike glue-up tables, most solid wood slab tables finish at 2″ to 3″ thick. Thus, the increase in cost. Lumber’s sold by the board foot, as are some wood slabs in most cases. Burl wood and rare and extra large live edge wood are the exceptions as to pricing.

Why are live edge tables so expensive? 

The range of prices may have been noted, ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Pricing a live edge table is complex; you must compare apples with apples and understand what you bought. As stated earlier, wood is sold by the board foot. Prices differ from one wood species to another, whether a solid wood slab or a glue-up wood table. Also, in the live edge wood slab world, the size of the wood slab has a factor in the price. For example, any wood species, a solid 4-foot wide, 12-foot long, 3-inch thick is rarer, whereas a 36-inch wide, 8-foot long, 3-inch thick wood slab is common. Thus, the larger wood slab is more valuable, but wood species also influence the price. Due to the nature of natural lumber, not all tree species make great live edge furniture. While there’s a debate about using a kiln or air drying, how the live edge wood is processed, stored, and dried significantly impacts the final product.

Which woods make the best table? 

With over 60,000 wood species around the world, how do you choose? A good rule is to stay close to home. By this, I mean to stay within a few thousand miles or within your country. Looking for a wood monger that believes in sourcing its logs ethically and has a long-standing footprint in the business. What’s ethically sourced at Littlebranch? Basically, in a nutshell, it’s not cutting a living tree unless in a managed forest, or it is endangering property, selective harvesting, salvage, or dead standing. Trees have life cycles, so why not manage this resource and harvest around their life cycles? We suggest staying with wood species native to your area or country. But back to the question of what wood is best for live edge furniture. The most resilient wood is a mature redwood, but black walnut, cherry, maple, claro walnut, and oak are also excellent choices. All is well in the hands of a seasoned woodworker, even though each species has its challenges.

Building a rustic table 

Building a live edge table is a great DIY project. The pursuit of high-quality lumber can be challenging, but not impossible. Air-dried wood takes a year per inch for most softwoods, and a lot longer for hardwoods. The average 3″ thick live edge wood slab takes five-plus years to dry and stabilize. Kiln drying will speed this up, but the moisture should be 16% or less before placing it in a kiln. If using a kiln to dry your wood, consider a solar kiln, as it mimics the natural drying process. To date, I have been unable to find proof that kiln drying is better than air drying wood. The live edge lumber’s moisture content should be between 6 to 10% before use in your furniture project. As a custom rustic furniture maker established in 2001, I prefer air-dried wood. Crafting a live edge table, whether a coffee table or a dining table, begins with high-grade wood, sanding, and a superior natural wood finish, like the premium hardwax from Saicos.

Custom Rustic Furniture designs

Also, remember that quality finish is more than just a jar. It’s an attention to detail and a sanding process. The process of woodworking, in general, involves numerous avenues; as a custom furniture designer focusing on rustic, live-edged furnishings. We focus on showcasing the beauty of natural wood with our designs. These sustainably harvested wood slabs are used for other purposes, including crafting table tops, bed frames, and rustic bathroom vanities. Welcome visitors to our Nashville, Tennessee, studio/gallery.

Live edge furniture maker 

Kelly Maxwell has been utilizing logs and live edge wood in creating custom natural wood furniture since 2001. Kelly has a DVD that teaches you how to build a log bed. He is enthusiastic about the opportunity to impart knowledge and encourage fellow woodworkers, whether they be professional or DIY artisans. He also sells his collection of unfinished air-dried wood slabs native to the Pacific Northwest, which is a little-known fact.

The growing trend of using real wood furniture in interior design over disposable big box store furniture makes a comeback. Thus, decreasing waste and promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility. This style is typically built-in small custom furniture studios rather than large factories. It also built using solid natural wood rather than manufactured materials such as plywood, particleboard. Manufactured materials can produce beautiful and comfortable products, but sadly, they will not stand the test of time. Thus, they are none repairable and, unfortunately, are discarded and end up in an already clogged landfill. This cycle is never-ending. Although furniture built from real solid wood has shown that it can stand the test of time, it is more often than not repairable or finds new life in repurposed furniture. 

Using wood furniture

Wood is probably the most natural material out there and used in every part of your home. Whether in the bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, wood will bring warmth and balance to your home’s decor. Know, let’s explore how to incorporate wood furniture and natural wood décor into your interior design. Here are a couple of ideas that might help you.

Wood bed frame

One of the easiest ways to add wood furniture is in the bedroom. A rustic bed will help create a calm and inviting bedroom, thus promoting a restful night’s sleep. Whether you purchase a custom-built natural wood bed or a stock bed built by a custom furniture design studio, choose the style bed frame you like. In the interior design process, the furniture should be at the top of the list. You are thus allowing for the natural beauty of the wood to shine through.

Whether the home’s décors rustic, contemporary, or modern, a handcrafted wood bed will complement the décor. Log beds are eco-friendly and relatively easy to build for a DIY project if you have the correct tools. With Youtube and other video options, you can learn how to make a log bed and different types of log furniture. These projects will take simple tools and some good old hard work, but the result is gratifying.

Reclaimed wood furniture

Reclaimed wood furniture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s the best idea to use reclaimed wood when it comes to furnishing your home. This style incorporates materials such as barn wood, pallet wood, and salvaged wood furniture.  Thus, giving rustic furniture and reclaimed and salvaged wood a new chance to shine.

Repurposing old barn wood and turning them into a dining table or even a salvaged burl wood slab that finds new life as an office desk. Another option is taking antique furniture that needs a little TLC to give it a unique experience. Sadly, some furniture is built using veneered wood and not real solid lumber and can be challenging to repair or even repurpose. Wood ceiling beams

Wooden ceiling beams

Giving old buildings and spaces a new purpose and turning them into family homes is another way to use all the resources we have and salvage as much as possible. That’s why lots of homes feature old wooden beams, but instead of letting them rot and look ugly. The owners fixed them and gave them the love they deserve.

Repainting your old ceiling beams is so easy that you can do it year after year. Continually changing the look of your interior and always keeping it fresh. You can also connect these beams with the exterior of your home and create a unique flow between your living room and patio. Of course, you’re going to need a way to get in and out, too, so pick some solid timber sliding doors that are visually attractive and rather elegant.

Fireplace mantel

Nothing warms a room more than natural wood.  Thus well-planned fireplace mantel or wood beam will give a lot of wow for your buck, whether it is a hand-hewn reclaimed wood beam salvaged from an old barn. A live edge wood beam cut from a log retrieved from the forest floor. They will both surely warm your home’s décor. It makes perfect sense as many of today’s interior designs incorporate natural wood beams, fireplace mantels, and main wood furniture pieces as the foundation. Using paint or wallpaper to accent the natural beauty of the wood beams, you bring the color needed in your decor.

An interesting fact is the fireplace is one of the main focal points in a home. Usually found in the gathering room and either accents or is the statement. A wood fireplace mantel milled from a salvaged old-growth redwood that features a gnarly live edge is always a show stopper. Mounting a fireplace mantel has evolved from using corbels to installing as if it is floating.

Kitchen Wood countertop

Lots of people love using natural wood in their kitchens. Many are opting to paint their wood cabinets. However, if you want to take things to a new level, you should consider incorporating a wood countertop into your kitchen. Instead of using marble, quartz, or granite, go with wood, and you’ll feel like a real chef in a matter of seconds! Whether your preference butcher block countertop or an organic live edge wood countertop, your kitchen will envy your friends and family. Like wood furniture, it is good to ask questions and choose a woodworker with experience. A few questions to ask are?

• How long have you been in business?
• What kind of finish is used, and is it non-toxic and VOC-free?
• How durable and repel water?
• How to care for the finished product?

Real wood countertops, even just a wood island top or bar top, will complement your kitchen décor.

Wood bathroom vanities

A space that is commonly neglected is the bathroom. Whether it is a half bath or master spa retreat, a custom wood vanity will set your area apart. Wood is the best way to elevate the aesthetic appeal of any space, and since the bathroom is our sanctuary and private oasis, wood can help us find inner peace and calm. Natural stone balanced with natural wood’s warmth and stability will create a zin or spa bathroom. By incorporating a log-style rustic vanity brings the calming effect of nature.  

Many different types of bathroom vanities can fit into any space, so you can go as rustic or modern as you like. Keep in mind that this little feature will bring in a new dose of elegance into your bathroom and make it more appealing than ever – maybe even turn it into the focal point of your entire home!

Remember, it is always easy to change colors through accent pillows, paint, lighting, and other décor accent pieces. Buying quality wood furniture crafted from ethically sourced wood makes sense—both in an economical and eco-friendly impact.

What is a live edge table, and why the growing popularity? Stated this style of the wood table brings nature into the decor of our home. Although this style of natural wood furniture has grown in popularity, it has been around for many years. They are also known as rustic tables, natural wood tables, burl wood tables, and many others. But whatever the name, they allow us to bring nature’s calming effects into homes as functional furniture.

What is a live edge table 

The Live edge table’s made from a wood slab which the outside of the trees still attached. Don’t confuse a live edge for a bark edge, which is not common as most barks will separate from the outside of the tree during the drying process. Below find an example of a solid tree wood slab with the natural live edge attached—a massive Claro walnut wood slab milled from a dead tree or at the end of its life. Also, a glue-up live edge dining table made from two or more live edge wood slabs glued together. Normally, these are thinner, around 1″ cutting cost. Some production furniture shops will cut a faux live edge. Unlike glue-up tables, most solid wood slab tables finish at 2″ to 3″ thick. Thus, the increase in cost. Lumber’s sold by the board foot. 

Why are live edge tables so expensive? 

You may have noticed prices range from under a couple of thousand dollars and up. Pricing a live edge table is complex, and you must compare apples with apples and understand what you are buying. As stated earlier, lumbers sold by the board foot. Prices differ from one wood species to another. Also, in the live edge wood slab world size of the wood slab has a factor in the price. For example, a Northern California Walnut 4′ wide 12′ long 3″ thick is rarer than 2′ wide 12′ long 3″ thick. Thus, the larger wood slab is more valuable. Wood species also have a factor in the cost of a live edge table. But not all trees make great live edge furniture. While the debate between kiln dried of air-dried how live edge woods cut, stored, and dried makes a difference.

Which woods make the best table? 

With over 60,000 wood species around the world, how do you choose? A good rule is staying close to home. By this, I mean to stay within a few thousand miles. Also, it is good to look for a wood monger that believes in sourcing its logs ethically. What’s ethically sourcing at Littlebranch? Basically, in a nutshell, it’s not cutting a living tree unless in a managed forest, selective harvesting, salvage, or dead standing. Trees have life cycles, so why not manage wood harvest around their cycles. But back to what is the best wood for live edge furniture. The most stable is old-growth Redwood within the USA, but Black walnut, Cherry, and Claro walnut are also great options. Oaks, whether red, white, or black oak, are also options and sycamore and maple. Each species has its challenges but finding a custom furniture maker specializing in live-edge furniture will help.

Building a rustic table 

Building a live edge table is a great DIY project. But finding quality wood can be difficult but not impossible. Air-dried wood takes 1 year per inch for most softwood species and longer for hardwood species. Kiln drying will speed this up, but the moisture should be around 16% before it is placed in a kiln. To date, I have been unable to find proof that one is better than the other. As a custom rustic furniture maker, my preference is air-dried wood. Building a live edge table, whether a coffee table or dining table, one of the key tips starts with quality wood, sand, and sand some more…..

Custom Rustic Furniture designs

Also, remember quality finish is not just in a can but rather a process. Woodworking, in general, is a process with many paths, as a custom furniture maker that specializes in rustic furniture and live edge furniture. Yes, these are basically the same style and use the same skill set. A live edge table’s also known as a rustic table, natural wood table, or burl wood table. Although a live edge table must have a living edge and the others, do not have that requirement. Besides a live edge table, we also use these ethically sourced live edge wood slabs in our wood countertops and our rustic vanity designs. We welcome visitors at our Nashville, TN, studio/gallery.

Live edge furniture maker 

Since 2001 Kelly Maxwell has built custom furniture using logs and live edge wood in his designs. He has a DVD teaching how to build a log bed. He welcomes the opportunity to teach and encourage other woodworkers, whether professional or DIY artisans. A little-known fact he also sells unfinished air-dried wood slabs native to the Pacific Northwest.

Say, have you ever seen a redwood? You know, those enormous trees they grow out west. What if I told you could have one for your own living room, at least part of it that is? Susan Watson found a creative custom furniture designer who makes those redwood dreams a reality. These may not be the sounds you immediately associate with Music City. But for Kelly Maxwell, the sound coming from his workshop at Littlebranch Farm is definitely music to his ears.

Custom furniture designer

There’s not a greater joy to me than taking a raw wood slab sanding it peeling back the layers to find the treasure inside.  We use live edge wood that is harvested from dead trees. To create unique, one-of-a-kind wood furniture pieces. Our wood most commonly comes from the Pacific Northwest. The trees get big out there. Such as the big leaf maple burls that we have in the showroom. Also, Claro Walnut burls, the buckeye burl wood, even the redwood burls. Because the redwoods pre-1960 were harvested pretty heavily, many stumps, roots, and logs were left on the forest floor and not used.

Natural wood Furniture in Music City

Wood that was once left behind as trash is now sought after and prized by custom furniture designer Kelly Maxwell. Kelly and his crew cut and then patiently sand, and finally applying their unique, natural hand rubbed finish to create custom live edge furniture that blends art and function. Kelly’s furniture is formidable but elegant at the same time. A definite conversation piece and almost impossible to resist. It’s rustic, but the finish is smooth as silk. That’s 100% technique because it’s all in the sanding and technique. As a Custom furniture maker, I like organic. I like natural beauty. I don’t like to stain the wood but use a simple hand-rubbed wood finish. Because I like to see the wood truly as it is.

Artistic but functional live edge furniture

Although they look rather unsightly from the outside, burls are a tree’s natural response to stress from an injury or viral or fungal infection. As the burl’s age, their colors and chaotic patterns create a distorted beauty. One that Kelly appreciates and highlights at Littlebranch Farm.

This is a big leaf maple burl out of Northern California, Oregon area. This is a burl that grew on the outside of the tree. You know burls can grow up on the tree or as a nodule or down in the ground. This one was actually growing around the tree. The tree was about 32 to 36 inches in diameter. You can see here the center of three. This burl just grew all the way around it. It is seven foot long. I believe it was probably a seven-foot round, but to mill it they actually cut it down on the sides to get it inside their mill. This burl is actually 62 inches wide by seven foot long. It’s amazing and beautiful burl wood!

Custom burl wood furniture

You might think that something so beautiful should be admired from afar, not subjected to something as messy as daily life, but that is precisely what Kelly designs for. It’s meant to be functional furniture. It is usable. It’s finished to be durable, to hold up. If you buy a dining room table, it’s meant to be used as a dining room table, not just to look at as a pretty art piece over here. Yes, it is art in the home, but there’s functional art. That’s what we create here. Wood is, in my opinion, the one component that warms a room. I don’t care if you’ve got a colonial style home or an ultra-modern home, contemporary, whatever that is, a natural piece of wood will warm that space and will fit. Because it’s part of nature. Yes, it’s part of nature. You’re just bringing a piece of nature into the house, into your home, into your life, where you can enjoy it every day.

Custom functional home decor

This live edge wood slab is going to be a hanging rustic vanity. We’ll actually flip it over, carve a sink into it, put the faucet down in it. Anthony, at Redtail Forge works, will make me up a set of chain mounting brackets. It’ll be able to hang from the wall and just be suspended. Kind of looks medieval.

The spacious showroom is filled with beautiful live edge tables, headboards, vanities, and mantels; however, for most clients, this is simply a point of inspiration. Most head on back to the workshop where they can browse through the hundreds of slabs that are waiting to be turned into someone’s special heirloom piece.

Furniture maker teaches how to sand wood!

Sometimes they want to come in and literally just pick up a sander and feel like they have contributed a portion to it. I take the time to educate them on the appropriate way to sand. Kelly understands the desire to be part of the process, to be part of revealing some hidden beauty in nature and maybe a hidden talent in one’s self. It was less than 20 years ago that he was working happily as a paramedic when his stepdaughter asked him to build some benches for her rustic wedding. With encouragement from friends and family, he took his work to a craft fair and sold it all. From that humble beginning, Kelly has built a name for himself with clients throughout the south and across the globe. He’s grateful that he gets to do what he loves and humbled that what he’s creating today will be bringing joy for many years to come. It brings me a lot of joy knowing that any of my pieces could be passed on from one generation to the next, and I think it’s great.

Heirloom Furniture

Custom wood furniture or real wood furniture is it for you?  I was speaking with a couple the other day about an accent table. They had been to several places, including searching the internet, to no avail. They felt custom furniture was out of reach within their options. Because of space size, color and style were important but the price was still a concern. With a few simple steps, we walked through the process of custom wood furniture and designed a piece that was over their budget, yet didn’t break the bank. When we first meet with a client, we like to know about the project, space, and yes, the budget. This way we can help clients achieve success in their custom wood furniture quest.

Custom wood furniture

Design wood furniture

The budget is always a top priority and it is important to compare apples to apples. A simple table built out of pressboard or particle board will cost a lot less than a real wood table. One of the interesting facts is that real wood furniture can be restored but the particle board or pressboard furniture cannot. Once damaged, it is essentially ruined.

Meet your furniture maker

So, if you think custom wood furniture is a fit for you, here are a couple of tips. If you have a hard time finding a local furniture maker, check on the internet. If you can visit their wood shop or studio. This will give you a chance to see the workmanship first hand. It also gives you an opportunity to develop a working relationship. Ask questions, such as, “How long have you been in business?” Also, ask, What is the process of ordering a custom furniture piece?” I enjoy client visiting my custom furniture studio in Nashville, TN, but sadly, I never meet most of my clients as they live in other parts of the country and across the globe. At Littlebranch, we are about quality natural wood furniture and working relationships. Our style is rustic to modern and contemporary. We also use ethically-sourced live edge wood slabs that are native to the USA.